Shock absorber function refers to the fascial ability to distribute the energy of impact in different directions, thereby attenuating it. After traumatic injury, fascia reorganizes as part of the shock absorber function. Massages return the fibers to their initial position and restore their functions.
What is the shock absorber function?
Shock absorber function is the term used to describe the fascial ability to distribute the energy of impact in different directions, thereby attenuating it. The soft tissue components of connective tissue are called fasciae. They surround the entire body with a tension network. Fascia includes all collagen fibrous connective tissue, especially that of joint capsules, organ capsules, muscle septa and fascia proper with the shape of flat solid layers of connective tissue. One of the most important functions of the fascia tissue is the shock absorbing function. Especially the deep fasciae are characterized by important functions in coordination, movement execution and force transmission. Unlike the muscle tissue, the fasciae are passive tissue structures and, in addition to their shape, provide the muscles with the necessary strength. They hold the muscle fibers together during contraction, separating the muscles from each other and thus preventing the skeletal muscles from influencing each other. In addition to these important tasks, the fasciae are also responsible for the distribution of energy after an impact due to the alignment of the individual fascia fibers. They distribute this energy in different directions, thereby attenuating it. This phenomenon corresponds to the shock absorbing function of fascial tissue.
Function and task
Fascia is a closely interacting network of adaptable parts of the tissue and can be divided into the superficial, deep and visceral fascia. They have a high viscoelasticity. Superficial fasciae are capable of significant stretching for this reason. Visceral fascia have a connecting function in connection with the organs of the body and therefore, unlike superficial fascia, are characterized by constant tension. Deep fasciae are also not particularly stretchable, however they are interspersed with sensory receptors and signal pain, changes in movement, changes in pressure, and changes in chemical milieu or temperature changes. Most deep fasciae are also characterized by the ability to respond to mechanical and chemical stimulation by means of contraction. Fascia can also reorganize and has a spring and shock absorbing function. As Little describes, the amount of elastic tissue deformation in response to impact can be directly related to the applied force and thus serve a spring function. On the other hand, the deformation can also be directly related to the velocity of the force applied and thus be equivalent to a shock absorber function. According to Little, collagen fibers in particular behave in principle according to the shock absorber principle. According to him, connective tissue structures behave as a combination of shock absorber and spring model. At the beginning of the force application, the elastic fibers of the tissue stretch and thus cushion the force application. After a certain period of force application, the collagen fibers compensate for the tension by means of the viscous shock absorber function. They transfer the energy of the force in different directions and allow the elastic fibers to return to their original position. The individual fascial chains even transfer the energy of any shocks to the whole body as a coherent network. In this way, irreversible deformation and reorganization occurs in the fascial tissue in the context of prolonged force impacts. Accordingly, the fascial tissue does not return to its original position even after the force effect has ended. Thus, in the broadest sense, the fasciae have a cellular memory in which traumatic experiences are stored.
Diseases and complaints
Tension in fascial tissue can impair the shock-absorbing function and, with it, one of the most important protective functions of the fascia. Causes of fascial tension include trauma and postural dysfunction as well as stress or psychological strain. Infections and scars of the fascial tissue can also impair the shock absorber function through tension in the fasciae.Osteopaths can often identify fascial tension by visual inspection alone and make a fascial diagnosis with the help of a mobility test on the fascial tissue. Fascial tensions with a loss of shock absorber function can possibly be compensated for by massaging the affected tissue. The situation is different in the case of remodeling of the collagenous and elastic fibers that has occurred in connection with prolonged exposure to force. In addition to deformation, inflammation can occur in the fibers in the case of prolonged force or traction, resulting in an absolute reorganization of the chemical and physiological environment. A specialized therapist can reverse the reshaping of the fascial structure. Reorganized elastic fibers of fascial tissue are easier to return to their original position than reorganized collagenous fibers. In a longer-term therapy, the therapist attempts to restore the chemical milieu of the collagen fibers by direct or indirect traction in the sense of a gentle continuous pulling action. The main task of a fascial therapist is thus to erase traumatic experiences from the cellular memory. In most cases, osteopaths and other fascial therapists work through the principles of induction and stretching when massaging fascial tissue. Trigger point therapy, which is designed to release localized muscle stiffness within the skeletal musculature, occupies a special position in fascial treatments. Local pressure sensitivity can originate from these trigger points. Transmitted pain can also originate from trigger points, with up to 90 percent of all pain syndromes said to be traceable to fascial muscle stiffness. Trigger point therapy can also be used to reharmonize the body’s fasciae, if necessary, if they have lost their shock absorber function due to psychological stress, infections or traumatic experiences.
